Trap nest



Sept. 8, 1931. F. w. LORD TRAP NEST Filed Dec. 10. 1929 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE FRED W. LORD, OF TIP'ION, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE OAKES MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OF TIPTON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA TRAP N 1318"].

Application filed. December 10, 1929. Serial No. 413,078.

This invention relates to trap nests and particularly to doors for such nests and an object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive door which may be positioned so as to close and lock when a hen has entered the nest or which may be locked in open position to permit the hen to go in and out of the nest.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of a number of nests showing my trap doors applied 1 thereto and showing it in the several positions,

Figure 2, a section on line 22 of F igure 1,

Figure 3, a section on line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4, a section on line 44 of Figure 1.

In the drawings numeral 10 indicates a nest divided into a number of'compartments having a plate 13 to which a door 14 is hinged. The door 14 is pivoted on a bar 15 which is secured at its ends to the side portions 12 of the door frame. The bar 15 is preferably, though not necessarily secured to the plate 14 by means of punched out portions 16 in the plate through which the bar 15 is inserted, the plate 14 hinging on the bar 15. The ends of the bar 15 are held in punched out and turned over portions 23 of portions of the plate 11. The lower portion of the door 14 preferably has lateral lugs 17 which engage the side portions 12 of the door frame against which the door shuts when in a closed position. The door 14 is preferably bent along the hinged portion to provide an upper plate 18. Over the upper edge of this plate a hook 19 is adapted to engage to hold the door in closed and locked position, as shown in the central panel of Figure 1. The hook 19 is preferably hinged to a bar 20 which is secured to the frame portion 13. The metal frame portion 13 which forms a reenforcing rib around the door plate is preferably bent around the bar 20 so as to-secure the bar in position, as shown in Figure 3. Y

A slot 22 is provided in the lower portion of the door 14 into which the hook 19 will engage to hold the door in open position, as shown at the right in Figure 1. As shown at the left panel in Fig. 1 the door 14 may be turned to a. vertical position which is the open position. In this position the hook 19 hangs idle back of the door. IVhen the door is in the open position it is so balanced to remain open but to be easily tilted to drop to closed position. When the hen enters the nest her back strikes against the lower portion of the plate 18 and causes the door to drop down and to lock in position, as shown in the center panel in Fig. 1. The hen is locked in until liberated by the attendant. In this manner he may check such hens as are laying and therefore check up on what hens are profitable and which are not.

In order to avoid sharp metal edges against which hens may cut themselves the edges of the door opening are bent out as shown at 24 and 25, to provide smooth edges. This is particularly necessary since hens may put their heads through the angular open ing 26. With a sharp edge along the door frame this would tend to cut the hens neck or to scrape oflf the feathers and otherwise injure the hen.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A closure for trap nests comprising a plate, a door having a slot and pivoted at opposite sides of the plate, and a hook adapted to engage the slot of the door to hold it in open position and movable to engage the opposite edge to lock it when the door is shut, substantially as set forth.

2. A trap nest closure comprising a plate having an opening therein, a door pivoted to the sides of the opening, the said door being bent along a line which divides the door into two substantially unequal portions, the shorter side serving to hold the wider portion of the door in elevated position when so positioned, this shorter side extending to a position when it will be engaged by the back of a hen entering the nest to unbalance the door and close the nest, and means for pre venting the Wider portion from swinging into the nest, substantially as set forth.

3. A trap nest door comprising a plate secured to and forming one side of the nest, a door pivoted thereto and swingable outwardly to an open position, said door being bent along a line which divides the door into unequal portions, the short portion engageable by a hen to cause the door to close, and a hook having a curved shank pivoted to said plate automatically engageable with the short portion for locking the door when in closed position and manually operable to engage the long portion to hold said door in open position, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Tipton, Indiana, this 30th day of November, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-nine.

FRED W. LORD. 

